Does God control evil spirits and sends them to torment people? In the previous post which mentioned 1 Samuel 16 verse 14, we learned that “Saul had an evil spirit from the Lord that tormented him.” That’s not how I think about God! Does God send demons to do his bidding? That’s what Satan isContinue reading “The musical therapist who treated spiritual oppression – 1st Samuel 16, Part 4”
Tag Archives: anxiety
When life boxes you in – 1st Samuel 11 & 12, Part 1
I recently listened to a podcast about ocean temperatures. Ocean temperatures are rising. They have been rising for many years. But in 2023, they rose faster than normal. Rising ocean temperatures are concerning. Fast rising ocean temperatures are really concerning. This is not a post about the environment, though sometime I should write about caringContinue reading “When life boxes you in – 1st Samuel 11 & 12, Part 1”
The state of fear in America – 1st Samuel 11-12, Preview
What keeps you up at night? Ever experience the syndrome where you cannot turn your mind off because you’re thinking about stuff? I fall asleep rather easily, but if I wake up in the middle of night, usually to use the restroom, anxious thoughts can creep in my mind, and it can be so difficultContinue reading “The state of fear in America – 1st Samuel 11-12, Preview”
Are you struggling with fear? – New Year Psalm of Wisdom, Part 2
Are things in our world getting worse? While politicians boldly declare that crime is on the rise, an FBI report says the opposite: “Not only has violent crime fallen 23% from 2002 to 2022, but also in the past year alone murders fell 6% and violent crime declined 2% overall.” (Source: Time) It can be difficultContinue reading “Are you struggling with fear? – New Year Psalm of Wisdom, Part 2”
Confidence in the middle of pain – Advent Psalm of Thanksgiving, Part 5
This week we’ve studied the parallel structure of Psalm 30. We’ve found matching points here, here, and here, and now we are left with verse 6, for which there is no match. It is the center of the structure. Because it doesn’t have a match, that means it is David’s most important point. What does heContinue reading “Confidence in the middle of pain – Advent Psalm of Thanksgiving, Part 5”
Prayer matters – Advent Psalm of Thanksgiving, Part 3
As we learned in the previous post, when King David was in The Depths, his life, emotions and faith felt very dark. The reality of life in The Depths brings us to the next matching pair in Psalm 30. Look at verses 2-3. David remembers when he called to God for help. He remembers howContinue reading “Prayer matters – Advent Psalm of Thanksgiving, Part 3”
How to pray when you’re down – Advent Psalm of Thanksgiving, Part 2
The ancient Hebrews often uses parallel structures in their writing, and we see it throughout the Hebrew Bible, which we call the Old Testament. It seems that Psalm 30 was written with one of those structures. Here’s the way they work. The opening matches the closing. The second main point matches the second to lastContinue reading “How to pray when you’re down – Advent Psalm of Thanksgiving, Part 2”
When pain is like a house guest that wears out their welcome – Advent Psalm of Thanksgiving, Preview
The holiday season is in full swing, having started a few weeks ago with Thanksgiving and lasting until after New Year’s Day. During the holidays, many people will spend time with family. On Thanksgiving my family had lunch at my parents and dinner at my in-laws. Thankfully, they live only 5 minutes apart. Over theContinue reading “When pain is like a house guest that wears out their welcome – Advent Psalm of Thanksgiving, Preview”
When life is bitter pill – Advent Psalms of Lament, Part 2
This week I welcome guest blogger, Jeff Byerly. Jeff is my pastoral colleague, friend, ThD classmate, and traveling partner! He and his wife Tasha have two daughters, a son-in-law and new grandbaby! As I mentioned in the previous post, we will turn our hearts toward lament in order to turn our heads upward toward God’sContinue reading “When life is bitter pill – Advent Psalms of Lament, Part 2”
How deeply God desires us to experience peace – Boots of Peace, Part 5
As we conclude this week’s blog series about the Boots of Peace in the Armor of God, consider what Paul writes about peace in Ephesians 2, verses 11-22: “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his fleshContinue reading “How deeply God desires us to experience peace – Boots of Peace, Part 5”
Engaging Scripture 